


assuagement

by armethaumaturgy



Category: Diabolic Esper/Lunatic Psyker - Fandom, Elsword (Video Game)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-29
Updated: 2016-12-29
Packaged: 2018-09-13 06:26:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9110551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/armethaumaturgy/pseuds/armethaumaturgy
Summary: “You don’t actually want me to leave you alone, do you?” he says quietly, looking at Esper like he already knows the answer without the time traveler having to open his mouth.





	

**Author's Note:**

> me; vent writes  
> me; this is actually good what the f

The hold on his wrist feels restrictive, even though it isn’t intended to be. The weight of emotions is crushing his ribs, making it painful to breathe properly. Esper yanks his arm out of Lusa’s grip, almost toppling over from the force it takes him.

“Leave me alone!” he barks, sniffling. His chest heaves painfully and he’s hunched over, hugging himself.

Instead of backing away, Lusa looks at him with a soft expression. At first Esper thinks it’s pity, but no; he’s too used to pity, could recognize it each and every time. This is just soft concern, but it makes him just as uneasy, without the underlying anger. Why is Lusa concerned about him for this, though?

“You don’t actually want me to leave you alone, do you?” he says quietly, looking at Esper like he already knows the answer without the time traveler having to open his mouth.

“I do!” Esper bursts out immediately, too fast. He freezes with his mouth still open, ready to storm away for just the single second, but then his shoulders sag and eyes wander to the side. “I… I don’t,” he mutters after a moment of silence, barely above a whisper, biting down on his lip. He stands there, devoid of any fight, now just what he truly is - a broken man.

Pieces of him are scattered everywhere, glimmering in the puddles, reflecting on the dew-covered blades of grass, tucked away in every timeline he had ever visited. He’d spent so long chasing after happiness, after the perfect life they’d been robbed of, after the feeling of love again, that it had all become but a faraway concept.

Esper didn’t wake up and think of what might happen during the day; no, he’d wake up and ponder whether he’d fail again and again and have to relive his own biggest nightmares yet again.

“Come here,” Lusa says, opening his arms in an invitation for a hug. The other hesitates, inching towards his counterpart, but stopping himself with what has to be a lot of self-control. Instead, Lusa steps forward and wraps his arms around the lithe man.

Esper sniffles, going fully lax in Lusa’s hold, even going as far as to hug him back, squeezing him tightly and burying his face into the crook of the brawler’s neck. His unending tears seep into the fabric of Lusa’s dress shirt, staining it. Lusa doesn’t seem to mind, or if he does, he doesn’t show it. He just holds the time traveler as close as humanly possible, letting him cry to his heart’s content.

“I’m- I’m so lonely,” Esper whimpers into Lusa’s neck, voice muffled.

Lusa knows it takes a lot for Esper to admit that to him, since he doesn’t like letting anyone know about his weaknesses, no matter how numerous or serious they get. The brawler feels warmth at the blatant display of trust battling with the sadness at seeing Esper so obviously hurt.

“Then why do you say you want to be left alone?” he asks, tightening his hold around Esper even more, feeling the lanky body tremble.

“I’m scared… I’m so weak, and I- I don’t want you to get… fed up with me…”

Esper’s voice is small, strained with the tears and barely audible, but it’s still more than enough to break Lusa’s heart. Is Esper really that scared? Does he really think that Lusa would just up and get fed up with him one day, because he felt lonely?

Obviously he needs to make sure to alleviate those fears, even a little bit.

“Hey, hey Esper,” he mutters, pulling away and placing his hands onto Esper’s shaking shoulders to hold him in place so he can’t look away from him. “Listen to me. I don’t mind, I really don’t. If you need anything, you can just ask me for it, y'know? I care about you.”

Esper sniffles, looking at him through teary lashes. “What if you just… stop one day?”

“You know me, don’t you?” Lusa smiles at him in what he hopes is a reassuring way. “I wouldn’t stop caring about you. You are me, after all, even if we fight, I still like you.”

“I’m scared you’ll stop anyway… I’m nothing but a failure, after all. It’s just natural…”

“I don’t want you to be scared, Es. I’ll be here as long as you need me,” Lusa swears. “Would you let me prove it?”

Esper can’t look at his counterpart anymore, and averts his eyes to the floor, watching his own toes shifting nervously. “I- yeah… I guess so.”

Lusa beams at him, one of those wide and toothy lopsided smiles that look so joyous that Esper can feel it in his own ribcage. “Thank you!” he says, like it’s not Esper who should be thanking _him_ instead, “Then, how about we work together tonight, so you don’t feel lonely.“

Esper bites down on the comment that it’s pointless since it’ll just end up as a failure and instead smiles back, shakily. "Yeah, yeah, I’d like that.”


End file.
